I typically don't leave comments for the races I run. I'll post something if they're especially good or especially bad.

Tupelo was almost perfect for me. The volunteers and organizers were really nice, and really helpful.

Some people may say the course was boring, but I really liked running through the rural neighborhoods.

Overall, it was one of the best feelings I had after completing a marathon (probably top 5 out of 40+ marathons). The people there are great!

This is a small race in a small city, put on by a dedicated local running club and race organizer. I have run 3 other very small marathons, 2 medium ones, and 3 huge ones (Chicago, Boston, and New York). This race was as good as any of the others and had no major flaws. Packet pickup was easy, the race host hotel was friendly and served breakfast at 4 a.m., the start was simple, the course was adequately stocked with water and Gatorade, and the finish was at 26.2 miles. Good job, Tupelo!

Here are the pros and cons of this race:

Pros:
-Small race field made for a good, relaxed atmosphere
-The finishing medal was very cool, and so was the shirt (but it was not tech shirt, even though it was still fun)
-Early start (5 a.m.) allowed for cool temperatures in the beginning
-Course was not that hilly but a little challenging

Cons:
-Tupelo is boring and only good for Elvis fans (which I am not)
-The race website is very confusing with directions and any sort of information in general
-The Tupelo Running Club comprises very nice people, but it did a poor job of setting up the race
-Mile markers were hard to see (spray paint on the ground)
-Water points were not every 2 miles, and some ran out of water, even though there were only 500 people! And they were so poorly organized that when four runners came by to get water, two weren't getting any.
-"Trample the weak hurdle the dead" is an appropriate race slogan since there were absolutely no medical personnel to be found at the start, on the race course, or at the finish. And I am serious. This scared me a little.
-The race course is on some back roads, and people were still driving on them and did not care how fast they were going, so be aware of your surroundings
-And the post-race food was McDonald's hamburgers and zero-calorie PowerAde. NOT what I would eat after 26.2 miles.

This race was fun, but just very poorly organized.

"Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead" is the motto of Tupelo's Marathon, and it sets the tone for this most unusual marathon event. From the moment you enter the website, you are greeted by pictures of flames and a skull and crossbones. They let you know that this will be a hot and humid race, and that it will not be pleasant for those unused to such conditions. The 5 a.m. start time will offer some protection, but the humidity is still high and the temperature rapidly increases after sunrise. If you train in such a hot and humid climate, this race is not particularly challenging. It has a few hills but they are not much to speak of. The course is on typical, Southern, rural, country roads, and it has a small Southern-town charm. The out-and-back nature of the race was not as bad as I feared it would be, since the race starts in the pre-dawn darkness and has a totally different character on the return leg in full sunlight.

The volunteers were friendly and helpful, and they are happy to give you both Gatorade and water from their ample supplies at each station. The course was open to traffic, but there seemed to be more dogs than cars (at least early). As you might expect, fan support was very sparse. The few that were there were enthusiastic enough. The best part for me included the T-shirts and finisher's medals. There was obviously a lot of thought put into these as they are both some of the best found anywhere (including the drastically more expensive Rock and Roll Series Races that are known for such things). The skull and crossbones medal will be the envy of every 6th grade boy you know (and many adults). The 14.2-mile race that serves as this race's half-marathon equivalent takes the marathon finishers' medal and cuts it in half (which somehow makes it look even cooler!). The t-shirt is a cotton long-sleeve, which usually means that the race director ran out of money to buy "technical" shirts, but there is nothing cheap about these cotton beauties. They are "tie died," with the skull and crossbones theme, and are something I might actually wear to causal gatherings even if they weren't race related. If you are looking for a small marathon set in a small, Southern town - and with a lot of attitude and heart - then look no further than Tupelo!

It is unfair to rate this course on spectators. It is a small race in a small town. They do not advertise spectator support, and I wasn't expecting it.

Pros:
1. I loved the start in the dark. It was like a training run.
2. This race is full of serious runners. Every conversation that I had was with someone who had raced numerous races.
3. The informal atmosphere was great. I arrived a few minutes before the start and still made the start. The post-race simply involved runners hanging out with other runners.

I really have no negatives. The course is non-stop up and down. It is a challenge. I was disappointed with my time, but I wanted to run the first 20 strong, which I did. Then I fell apart.

I have to admit that I was nervous about running this marathon when I saw the number of runners would not exceed 500 total (250 marathoners) and read the comments about the heat and humidity. But I realized I couldn't finish worse than 250th place and that would be my best ever! This was my 7th marathon and the most enjoyable! I ran large races like Marine Corp and Disney, but this marathon brings you back to why we run in the first place. There were times on the course when the only other runner I saw was the guy 200 yards in front of me, but boy, how peaceful. The people who volunteer their time to prepare this race were outstanding and so friendly. The only spectators were the ones manning the water stops, and they were wonderful! You don't need thousands of cheering people along this course. Enjoy the view!

There was plenty of water and Gatorade that was NOT watered down. The goody bag was top-notch, and the skull and the crossbones medal is the coolest ever! I also love the design of the half medal; don't change that! The 5 a.m. start was great. I didn't notice heat and humidity, but I just came from a Baltimore summer. The rolling hills were no problem. You will find port-o-pots in 3 locations along the out-and-back course, which, to my surprise, worked out well. No huge lines! The only part I didn't care for was the open-road course. A few cars and pick-up trucks passed me and other runners way too close - and much too fast! Perhaps it would help to have a few signs warning the drivers that there are runners on the course. I highly recommend this race. Thank you for a great time!

For the people who say there were no mile markers and could not see, maybe you need to understand that with age, your eyes are not as good, and you need to plan out accordingly. This is not a NASCAR race at night with 1000 high-powered lights every mile. Anyway, the mile markers had glow sticks that, from my understanding, everyone around me saw; and it was not that dark at all, with lots of residence lights on.

For those who are looking for a PR: with the heat it, it will probably not happen. This is a good training marathon for races in the upcoming months or for 50-staters. The heat is part of what makes this marathon great.

The aid stations were great and did not run low on supplies.

My wife dragged me into going to Elvis' birthplace, which was okay, but I would not recommend it.

The location of the marathon for the "small" town of Tupelo is great, with indoor bathrooms at the start/finish.

This is not Disney, Chicago or Houston... do not expect it to be. Expect to run an out/back marathon in the heat over rolling hills, with 250 other marathoners and no one but a dog sitting at the front of a neighborhood at mile 7 and 19 (true story) to cheer you on. Then you will like this marathon.

Overall, this is a great experience. As noted, people are very friendly - packet pick-up the easiest ever. Course well marked. Two things I wish were organized a little better: We arrived early to the start, stayed in front of building with tons of runners, and moved en masse to the start. Because we had chips, I didn't worry about a fast start for the 14.2-mile run; in fact, we stayed toward back talking to walkers and other 14.2'ers. I was very surprised there was no timing mat at the start and no discernible start line to begin our own timing. If there were announcements, we sure couldn't hear them. Also, there were two sets of port-a-johns on the road - I assume they belonged to this race, but not near a water stop and no info in the race packet. In fact, I saw racers duck around back of the P-A-J's rather than in them.

Other issues probably outside of race management control included the girl REPEATEDLY taking strobe flash pictures of her friends at 5 a.m. in the dark at the start area - do you not understand how you were blinding those of us nearby??? Also, lots of trash on the back country roads - and some of the runners added to it (I passed many empty GU packs on ground). C'mon guys, would it kill you to carry your empty packet to the next water stop? (...Which, come to think of it didn't have trash cans; but the volunteers did tell us just to toss the cups and they would gather them). A lot more vehicle traffic than you would think for that time of morning, including one exhaust-spitting truck that turned in front of us and multiple vehicles weaving in and out of runners at the early portion of the return. Otherwise, just as everyone has said, there was an awesome medal, a nice thumbs-up from the front-runners, great parking, a nice chance to drive the course if you arrive day before (map on website is sufficient and course is pretty straight-forward). Heat and humidity are the norm for the south, and the early start was a plus. Water stops were well stocked.

Last year I ran the full marathon and this year I only ran the 14.2-miler. Both times it was HOT and HUMID, but still, both were great experiences. I'm already planning to run again next year. The medal for the 14.2-miler was great - they took the skull and crossbones and cut in a little more than half, just like the 14.2-miler is a little more than half a marathon. Nice touch. Burgers and beer at the finish is always nice. Plus they have indoor bathrooms! Don't expect crowd support and photos along the way. You're out there on your own (except for aid stations support). Nice, rolling hills. Was dark at the start. Several people were startled by a cat walking down the middle of the road - difficult to see. Heard one lady scream. All that leads to the uniqueness of the race.

After finishing Humpy's Marathon (great race) a few weekends before, I was probably in for a disappointment.

The website provided very limited information. No maps or directions to the packet pick-up or start/finish location. For those coming from out of town, I found it difficult to find location information. Also, there was no information in the packet about the start location.

The website had indicated there would be aid stations about every 2 miles. The first aid station wasn't until mile 3. This could be dangerous, especially considering the humidity levels.

While the runners in front may have seen the mile marker signs (those following the police car), those of us slower runners in the back couldn't see anything. It was pitch black and there were no light sticks illuminating mile markers or any signs.

It truly is pitch black at 5 a.m. - you could hardly see the runner in front of you. I found it disconcerting and was worried about safety (can't see potholes, edge of road, roadkill, etc.).

I agree the 5 a.m. start time might be necessary, but it should probably be recommended runners wear headlamps if they're not running behind the lead police car.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this race to my running friends.